Sleep and schedules
It's been a month since Allie was born and we're still trying to adjust to the sleeping schedules (or lack of).
Everyone has been telling me that around 6 weeks you can start implementing a schedule to put the baby on so that they're sleeping 10-12 hours at night. Well, given the 2-4 hours of sleep we've been getting, you have my attention, sir.
But looking up baby scheduling tips is scarier than the chicken-head-chopping-off tunnel scene from Willy Wonka.
Everyone and their mom, literally, has an opinion. Some say swaddling is key. Some say you have to let them cry it out. Some say you have to have a bedtime routine. All say you have to be consistent.
Well here's where we are:
Everyone has been telling me that around 6 weeks you can start implementing a schedule to put the baby on so that they're sleeping 10-12 hours at night. Well, given the 2-4 hours of sleep we've been getting, you have my attention, sir.
But looking up baby scheduling tips is scarier than the chicken-head-chopping-off tunnel scene from Willy Wonka.
Everyone and their mom, literally, has an opinion. Some say swaddling is key. Some say you have to let them cry it out. Some say you have to have a bedtime routine. All say you have to be consistent.
Well here's where we are:
- We consistently go to bed whenever she finally does which is usually midnight.
- We have a bedtime routine. It's put baby in bassinet, repeatedly put pacifier in her mouth after she repeatedly spits it out, try swaddling her several more times because she is a Baby Houdini and can wiggle her way out of the tightest blanket, feed her again, burp her, catch the spit up for 20 minutes (which always comes when you least expect it and yes, I've had several instances of spit up dripping down my arm/stomach/leg, because it ALWAYS misses the burp cloth), finally collapse in bed because she's passed out, wake up 3 hours later, repeat. At least we're consistent, right?
- Cry it out? It should be called "Parents and Baby torture themselves for funsies". I'm not sure who it's harder for: her or me. We once (yes, once) had to let her cry on our way home because she was hungry and we were still 10 minutes away from the house and that was the worst thing ever. I can't even imagine letting her cry for an hour until she falls asleep. Yes, I know she won't remember this. But the guilt would probably hang over my head for years to come so just hand me the "Worst Parent of the Year" award and I'll
happilysleepily be on my way. - According to the internet, we've already broken several rules for getting her to sleep on a schedule like giving her a pacifier, holding/rocking her to sleep, letting her sleep in our bed (Umm yes I'm lazy and like to do the lie down nursing technique when it's unholy hours of the night. And then we both inevitably fall asleep. Womp womp...), and giving her a bottle before the 6 week mark. Dun dun duuuunnnnn....
